Our experience on-board Valiant Lady!

Virgin Voyages sailings provide the luxurious, adult-only experience, while mixing the perfect balance of the luxury yacht feel with the extensive on-board opportunities of a large ship. Creating your cruise unique experience has never been easier with over 20 eatery options, captivating entertainment and dress codes out of the window, you can customise your dream cruise with Virgin Voyages.

We were fortunate enough to have Cruise118.com colleagues on-board the second ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet and sister-ship to the incredible Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady on a 3-night sailing to Bruges. This incredible ship provides a diverse variety of dining options, numerous entertainment options, a tattoo parlour, wellness zones and much more for all to enjoy. Our team returned with great feedback surrounding their time on-board on this incredible ship so we can now provide the inside details to life on-board this ship!

Pre-departure Process

Overall the embarkation process was extremely straight-forward and efficient. Initially, we booked our embarkation slot which placed us into a group to both check-in and board the cruise, this was completed through our Virgin Voyages app which was easy to use. To board we had to provide an up to date proof of vaccination status, we also had to take a Covid test and for it to return negative to be able to sail, however we didn’t have to take another test on our return to the UK. While sailing we were required to fill out a passenger locator form when arriving in Bruges and on return back to the UK.

First Impressions of Valiant Lady

When boarding the ship our first impressions from the exterior was modern and stylish but subtly rather than ‘in your face’ with a fun, tech vibe about it. The service on-board from the crew was exceptional and they couldn’t do enough for you!

Accommodation

Our allocated cabin types were Seaview ocean terrace with a balcony, which were very modern compared to other cruise lines. Within the cabin an iPad allowed access to many features such as mood lighting, heating, curtain and TV control. The cabin was spacious and accommodated a double bed, good sized wardrobe, safe and plenty of storage.

Top Tip: There are plenty of plug sockets and USB ports located throughout the cabin, however travel adapters may be needed due to sockets accommodating the two-pin US plug.

Entertainment and Activities

Throughout the cruise there were bands/artists playing in public areas and bars around the ship, including The Red Room, which is the first transformational theatre at sea, boasting live performances which occur each night.

Top Tip: The shows we tried to watch were fully booked and therefore we could not just turn up on the night. Bookings for entertainment such as this can be done through the Virgin Voyages app. We really enjoyed Morf, the one-man band who played in a couple of the bar venues throughout the day and night.

Dining

The dining experience was the highlight of the ship in my opinion. Everything was done in what felt like would be speciality dining standard on other cruise lines. With Virgin everything is done with the speciality feel. The service was amazing, the staff were very knowledgable about the food and gave recommendations throughout. The quality of the food was fantastic and you could make reservations through the app on-board. When ordering food, they would ask if you had any allergies or dietary requirements.

We tried numerous dining options while on-board Valiant Lady including:

Pink Agave – Mexican restaurant – We tried a mixture of fish and meat dishes which were fantastic.

Gunbae – Korean BBQ – We tried the whole menu which was a mixture of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. They cooked it on a sunken hot plate in the middle of the table in front of us! This was our favourite restaurant on-board, the food was absolutely amazing but also the social aspect was great and was easy to meet new people.

Test Kitchen – Experimental restaurant – We had 6 courses of very unusual dishes. We were presented with small tasting dishes set out as part cooking school and part restaurant.

The Galley – The main dining area made up of multiple eateries where you order from the table.

The drinks prices on-board were very reasonable, just like you would pay in a local bar or club with beers priced approximately $6 each and cocktails $9 minimum.

Top Tip: Adding your party/others guests on the app as a connected booking provides ease of reservations for booking dining options and entertainment, therefore minimising the risk of the full party not being able to attend a specific booking.

Overview

The service throughout the whole sailing was exceptional and the staff were all very friendly and knowledgable! The staff on-board were all energetic and could tell they enjoyed working there. While on-board we felt the atmosphere was very laid back and relaxing, not like anything I’ve experienced on past cruises.

This ship had many places to eat in terms of restaurants and smaller eateries as well as many small bars on-board offering specialty cocktails and different theming. We would suggest to try as much of the food as you can as this is definitely a foodies type of cruise!

View all Valiant Lady’s itineraries or call our expert cruise concierge on 0808 278 3940 for more information!